Planting grass under an American Gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua)
I have a 12 year old America Gum tree on my front lawn. The roots of the tree are very close to the surface of the soil and are very large and extensive. Is there anything that I can do to bring back my lawn grass ? Thank you .
Answer
While you may want to have a 3 inch deep layer of mulch around the base of the tree (but kept about 3 inches from the trunk!), it seems to me that you are asking about generally restablishing a nice lawn grass area. Here is a link to an excellent fact sheet from Penn State which will provide the advice you requested, including appropriate grasses, watering requirements, and planting time. Good luck.
http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/factsheets/shade